I had made a mental-note to myself that the next time I was passin' through town, I would investigate Weird Harold's for my wife's birthday present. I figured I might find a beautiful cast-iron piece for her to implant into our backyard. Lorraine is really good at this backyard-landscaping stuff - she's very creative and awfully serious about it. Our friends and neighbors always appreciate her "wonderful-eye for it" and usually complement her for this whenever we're Bar-B-Qin' out back or havin' one of our get-togethers. So on my way out of Harold's, I made my way to this Hot Dog Truck in the parkin'-lot to sample one of the 'authentic Chicago Red-Hots' being advertised. I'll admit that I was skeptical because of the fact that I did a lot of livestock-haulin' in Chicago (back in my "early days") and I know first-hand what the real deal is. Welp, I gotta tell y'all that this Wayne's Red-Hots is the real deal. After the "test-dog", I was soon wolfin' a bunch of 'em down like there was no tomorrow, happy as could be. These hotdogs really take me back. And a few other people there had figured this fact out as well: they were grabbin' hotdogs like seasoned Chicagoans, pullin' up to the cartside table and talkin' about the Amphitheater troubles down by the river. Even though they were happily eatin' great hotdogs, they seemed pissed. "The city wants to throw something up quick and dirty down there rather than make something beautiful and lasting," one fella said. "They also want to keep as much money as possible for themselves," another man interupted, "Hell, I heard that Betsy Johnson just gave them five-grand and Walmart gave them a thousand-bucks too!" Another lady added that, "The city will probably take their cut off the top and then dole out the rest of the money to friends of theirs like they usually do." While Sanders the hot-dogman was makin' me one more redhot (dragged through the garden) he reminded me that the park's initial layout-plan, (designed by Larry Buzbee) had already been approved by some sort-of steering-committee, the Merchants Association, and the Park Commission. Most of the people around the cart seemed to think that the original plan and design might not materialize at all, something I couldn't possibly imagine my wife puttin' up with. "The city now is sayin' that it all must be reviewed by an Art Commission," one fella said while finishing off a Polish-Sausage. "Art Commission?!? Hell, it doesn't even exist. What's wrong with them?!" My own translation from all of this talk was that the boys at City-Hall were sayin' to hell with Buzbee's vision and that they will finish off the Amphitheater cheap and fast by a bunch of "hacks" (as Lorraine would call them.) I wondered why they were so damn callous to what people want to have in this park down in OldTown. It seems to me that the boys downtown have adopted a "who cares what people in St Helens want" attitude. Yeah sure, they'll appoint some boards and commissions...and then, they'll probably ignore any of their recommendations. I said goodbye to everyone and on my way back to the truck, I got to thinkin' about my nextdoor neighbor Russ who also was originally from Chicago. He's always tellin' me to "keep an eye on all of these City-Hall boys, cause they're always playin' around with YOUR money." He'd seen it for years and years back in Chicago. "Hell, it's an institution back in Chicago!" he always says. I decided right then and there to turn back-around and order-up a nice, big Italian-Beef sandwich to bring home for him. It might just take him back too.
Be sure and keep an eye on the city hall boys in this nice little town y'all got here.
-Tom
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